Remembering October 7th

By Kristine Joseph 10.6.2025

The start of a new school year recently came and left, and I celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. As usual I found myself sitting in synagogue feeling grateful for everything in my life as I reflected over the past year. I couldn’t help but notice that services weren’t as full as they usually are every year. I wondered if people were staying home to stream services out of fear. It is possible.

Following the attacks against Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza on October 7^th, 2023, there has been a rise in antisemitic incidents all over the world.

The Battle of Nir Am was a horrific event that only happened two years ago. Many may recall the Supernova Music Festival that occurred in southern Israel on that day. Thousands of Hamas terrorists attacked and shot festival goers.  This was just one of many attacks from Hamas on Israel at this time, resulting in 378 deaths and over 40 abductions.

The link below shows a documentary about that day. I found it to be difficult to watch, but it was a tasteful depiction of the story while attempting not to show anything inappropriately gruesome. https://youtu.be/rn4BxUnz_bE?si=V1PjMz5kcTPz1i6f

Just recently over Yom Kippur, the holiest of holidays for Judaism, an attack took place at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester England. The suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, rammed his car into the gates of the attacked worshippers with a knife

The names of the victims who lost their lives in the attack were - Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.

These are just two chapters in a larger story. I’m not writing this to get political or go into historical facts. Although these stories are horrifying and difficult to listen to at times, it is important that we acknowledge that they happened, remember the victims, and to not forget! Why? So, we prevent it from happening. So, we continue to do everything possible to not be hateful. To teach our children to be decent human beings and antisemitic acts are unacceptable no matter what PERIOD.

Even though the massacres in Israel are dark and horrific, I still read stories about the heroic people that gave their lives so others could live. I learn about many people that helped other strangers find safety in a time of vulnerability. It is these stories that remind me that there is so much good in this world. It reminds me how I have faith that there is more good than evil in this world. Each person has the power to have common human decency to others in this world. By being one of these people is one step that can make all the difference in the world.